Creative Beginnings
Arts accessibility is critical for preschoolers, as it meets their unique developmental needs. Arts education in preschool develops and strengthens imagination, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills; plays a central role in motor skills and language development; and promotes social skills and school readiness.
Creative Beginnings provides quality arts experiences in early childhood classrooms at no cost to the schools or families. The program provides hands on arts experiences for students and training for teachers to regularly integrate the arts into their teaching practice. Arts-rich teaching becomes the new standard and benefits future generations of students.
Participating teachers:
- Increase their use of child-centered arts activities and become more comfortable implementing creative activities with students.
- Develop confidence and recognition of their personal creativity.
- Model language with students that encourages thought and reflection.
Participating students experience:
- Movement, music, storytelling, and visual art led by a professional teaching artist and the classroom teacher.
- Programming that supports language development, illumination of math and science concepts, and modeling positive relationships with peers and adults.
Program design is consistent with Department of Education Preschool Teaching and Learning Expectations and with Expected Outcomes for Head Start.
Creative Beginnings was created in 1997, and since then we have served hundreds of teachers throughout New Jersey. The project has received funding from PNC, The Prudential Foundation, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Turrell Fund, Princeton Area Community Foundation, the Burke Foundation, and the Fred C. Rummel Foundation.
For more information, contact:
Michelle L. Marigliano
Sr. Director of Education & Equity
[email protected]
609.243.9000 Ext:220
